Rewind
by Dingbat142001
Summary: Oneshot. Tony doesn’t visit the past much. But sometimes, when he does, it’s best to travel with a friend. T/P Movieverse. WARNING IM2 SPOILERS!


**Title: Rewind **

**Rating:** FRK  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just the idea.  
**Spoilers:** **IM2 SPOILERS**  
**Summary: **Oneshot. Tony doesn't visit the past much. But sometimes, when he does, it's best to travel with a friend. T/P Movieverse.** IM2 SPOILERS**

* * *

Aged, yellowed manuscripts were unquestionably agonizing to read, Tony though as he eyed the browning text in front of him. Over three decades, it would make sense that the pages would be crinkled, or the text would be faded, or images would be wrinkled or curved inward as old images do, but really, Stark Archives should have taken better care of this stuff.

Making a mental note to visit those in charge of the past, Tony continued reading briefs, creating 3D schematics in his head, and completely submerging himself in the years of his very early childhood.

So engrossed in the 'new' technology of 1974, he failed to hear the customary tap of heels until a four digit code was pressed into a glass panel and his workshop door opened. Figuring it was Miss Romanova, his latest assistant with red hair and nice legs, (though not quite Miss Potts, he couldn't help but notice), Tony didn't look up from the worktable.

"Whatever it is, can't it wait?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Stark."

All that was needed was the_ 'I'm'_ and Tony had swiveled around so fast he thought he might have pulled a few G's.

"Pepper!"

There, standing in a business skirt, titan hair done up in a neat bun, briefcase in her hand, was Pepper Potts, former PA, now CEO of Stark Industries, and after not seeing her for three days, goddamnit, she took his breath away.

"Hi..." Pepper said, sounding a tad awkward. Ever since he promoted her, their social conversations became ... not uncomfortable, just...different. At the office, work could be discussed, complete with _'Good morning's'_ and _'If that's all's'_, but the private conversations were just...odd. _'Good whatevertimeofthedayitwas'_ seemed too formal, while_ 'Hi'_ seemed not formal enough.

Good thing Tony Stark was excellent at pulling things out of his butt.

"Can't stay away from me, can you?"

"Yes, that _must_ be it," She replied with a look upwards towards the ceiling. "I couldn't _possibly_ be standing here with my briefcase, hoping to talk about the developments from the latest meetings I attended regarding arc technology with the person who perfected said device. Why, that would be ludicrous."

Tony crossed his arms, enjoying the playful banter, "You should know better than to stroke my ego, Miss Potts."

Pepper gave an amused sigh as Tony gently pulled at the hairs on his chin.

"But, if you'd rather stroke someth-"

"That will be enough of that, Mr. Stark," Pepper jutted in with a lighthearted, knowing look.

Tony merely laughed on his way to the kitchenette. "Can I get you anything?" he asked, being the nicest host he could, (but with Pepper, that was always pretty easy). "Beer? Wine? Martini?" The last one thrown in with a bit of a leer.

Pepper smiled lightly, ignoring the night they don't talk about, "Tony, I'm here to work."

Glancing at the clock on the coffeemaker, Tony poured himself a glass of scotch, and turned back to face her, "It's 7 o'clock, Pepper. The workday ended a while ago."

"For some, yes," Pepper agreed, placing her bag on a worktable, "CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, no."

Tony took a drink from his glass before looking smug "I was always done by 5."

"And we all know why that was."

"I had the world's best PA who kept me in line and schedule everything at a half decent hour?"

Pepper brushed off the compliment, "No, you normally skipped out early."

Tony cocked his glass towards her, not exactly disputing her comment, "Come on, Pep. It's Friday; take a load off."

Pepper shook her head, but made no further move to break open her briefcase, "If I finish this now, I'll have the whole weekend to _'take a load off'_."

"But you wont," Tony said, giving her a look. "I know you. You never relax."

She looked at him shrewdly, "I do…"

"Then have a drink with me."

Pepper opened her mouth to reply with the expected 'No,' then closed it again. She had stepped right into that one, didn't she?

Turning her head, she eyed her briefcase, then her watch, before settling on him. "Fine, one."

"Atta girl!"

"But," Pepper broke in before he could celebrate his victory, "We finish this paperwork, _tonight_."

"Absolutely," Tony readily agreed. If she was going to bend a little, it was only fair that he do the same. "So, what's your poison?"

"You said you had wine?" she asked, moving into the kitchenette where he stood.

"Excellent choice, m'lady."

Turning to lean against the counter, Pepper surveyed the room. It was always different every time. Something moved, something bought, something thrown away. Coming into the workshop was like picking from a room of 100 doors. You never knew what you'd get each time.

The suit and its predecessors hung in what he called the 'Hall of Armor', while bits and pieces of its successors lay strew on the tables. He was always modifying, and just like Tony Stark's woman (who she couldn't help but notice were in absence as of late), was never utilize twice.

Finally, her eyes settled on something he didn't usually have out.

"What's with the projector?"

Handing her a wine glass full of cherry coloured liquid, Tony too leaned against the counter.

"Research."

"For what?" Pepper asked hesitantly. She knew from experience that if Tony was _researching_, something big was happening.

"Stark Expo."

Nearly choking on her sip of wine, she eyed him, "Stark Expo? Why are you-"

"I'm reinstating it," he simply put.

The woman's eyes widened, "Reinstating it? That hasn't been done since 19-"

"'74. Yeah, I know." He shrugged, "What more reason to start it again."

Pepper looked bemused, "Why are you doing that?"

"Wow, Pep. That's at least four questions in a row. Normally you can follow my line of thought on these things," Tony pointed out with amusement. "A week and half and you've already forgotten me. Don't worry," he blinked rapidly and used his free hand to fan non-existent tears, "The heartache should only last for so long."

Pepper sighed through a smile, but he did have a point. Normally she knew what he was thinking before he even thought of it, himself. Only 10 days since her impromptu promotion, and she was getting rusty in Starkenese.

Walking towards the coffee table that stood beside the reel projector and a chair loaded down with wires, metal and an assortment of tools, with her empty hand she leafed through old pamphlets, aged blueprints, and 1970s newspaper clippings, quickly gathering her own intel.

"Stark Expo, three days of technobabble where the greatest minds in science, mathematics, politics, climate change, engineering, and economics congregate to showcase, not only their egos, but new developments in technology."

Tony smirked as he listened to her ascertain the situation. There was just something about Pepper taking the situation by the horns, as it were, that made him itch in an entirely pleasant way.

"I love it when you talk like that."

Turning back to him, Pepper chuckled a little and sipped from her glass before speaking, "You should hear me haggle with Accounting, and Production, and draft a memo, all at the same time."

"I have," Tony smiled, "And it's thrilling."

Pepper brought her hand up to her forehead in exasperation, but looked pleased.

"Hey," Tony said, pushing himself from the counter and advancing towards Pepper's three foot radius, "before you got here, I was just about to watch one of these slides. Care to join?"

Pepper grinned, but looked reserved, "Tony, what did I say my reasons were for coming here?"

"To do decidedly naughty things to a charming, handsome Billionaire?"

Pepper rolled her eyes, "No, I don't think that was it."

"Really?" Tony pretended to look confused, "I could have sworn that was what you said."

"Yeah," she said, moving both her hands as weight scales, "Work…_that_, they sound so similar."

Tony smiled, "What was that thing we were saying about you relaxing?"

Pepper scoffed, "I can relax perfectly well with a glass of wine."

"Come on," he prodded, "One reel. They're really short. Then work."

Pepper was dubious, but while she wasn't wanting to figure out why, the thought of sitting with him and watching old movies (even if they were regarding some '70s engineering jargon she knew little about) sounded oddly …(because she wasn't going to say romantic) tempting.

"If you say yes, maybe you'll get to see a glimpse of yours truly. I've watched a few of these, and I have a significant presence."

She was sold.

"…Alright." Pepper smiled and moved around the other side of the table to the couch.

Sitting her glass down, she took off her heals and brought her legs up to tuck them off to her side. While she adjusted, Tony flipped on the switch of the reel projector, which was already fed, and moved to sit an appropriate distance beside her on the couch.

Taking his cue, Jarvis turned off the lights and a yellow grainy image was cast on the far workshop wall.

As was usual, a universal counting leader was displayed, with its dwindling numbers, spiral counter and sharp ping, then, except for the steady ratcheting of mechanisms threading the feed through, all was silent.

Having never actually thought of Stark Industries as a newer, expanding, though successful and cutting edge company, Pepper wasn't sure what to expect. But somehow, the first silent, jittery footage of 'Stark' printed on the side of a huge exterior wall, obviously the west wing of the current main building, inclusive with glass auditorium and display room, was it.

Clearly the building had been expanded over the years, and the name moved to the eastern wing as it was closer to the highway, but it still looked like the building she walked into every day, and seeing the men and women walk that familiar, though altered path, brought a sense of déjà vu.

Taking a brief tour of the property, Tony would point out what he could remember of those early days, including where his dad parked (whenever he drove himself), and where he as a child launched his first rocket from.

Pepper marveled at the changes, despite noticing the similarities. The main building was in the same location, even if smaller, and the two western expansions were just as they are today. Missing were the four rear buildings north of the main grounds, an empty lot being in their place. Though they weren't built yet, Pepper envisioned the land to be already spoken for by the late Mr. Stark. Knowing how Tony worked, Howard probably had visions of the future, as well.

Once the tour was complete, the camera found its way around the grounds, weaving through crowds of updos and skinny suit pants. Men and woman, alike, looked in awe of those with more ingenuity and vision, while children either looked bored, or enthralled. Many would wave, tug on their parents' hand and point at the camera.

"You know Chuck Davis?" Tony asked as the crowd parted for the camera and its operator.

"On the Board?"

"Yeah, that's him." He said pointing to a child that couldn't be any more than 10, wearing what looked like a vest with corduroys.

Pepper laughed, "Oh my God, looks just like him!"

Tony spoke out of the side of his mouth, "I think he still has that vest, too."

Pepper gave him a stern look, though the smile said she didn't mean it.

As the camera moved, Tony would point out other people he knew. Most of them were currently employees of Stark Inc, and most of them were 10 to 20 years of age back then.

Some Pepper recognized though. "Is that…"

"Brenda in PR, yeah. Worked all her life with us. Dad said he hired her 'cause she could stare down a Journalist at 50 paces."

"I don't doubt it," Pepper concurred. Although in her 60's and nearly ready to retire, Brenda could still put the fear of God in anyone with a pen, paper, or nowadays, a recorder.

Moving around a booth, which looked like to be demonstrating the art of harvesting wind from your own personal windmill, Tony spotted another familiar face.

"That Dick in Accounting…"

Pepper bit her lip to stifle a laugh, "Tony…"

"What?" The Billionaire asked innocently, "That's his name."

"Uh huh…" Pepper said, vaguely aware that her former supervisor, Richard Collins, truly did go by Dick. But she knew Tony didn't care much for the man, and referred to him as both his name, and an adjective.

"Anyway, that guy with the beard, that's his dad. Apparently dad's a Dick too," Tony said, smirking to imply the adjective this time.

"I really don't see why you don't like him," Pepper mentioned. "I think you see him maybe three times a year, tops."

She distantly heard Tony mutter something that sounded almost like _'your former boss'_ before tuning it out as a man came onto view.

A man she'd only ever seen in pictures.

"And that Miss Potts," Tony said, suddenly quietly, with a hint of awe even after all this time, "Is my dad."

Pepper's breath caught and tears abruptly stung the corners of her eyes.

Yes, she'd seen him in pictures, but moving footage was…indescribable. It was like before even being hired, that you hear Tony Stark is some sort of deity as he builds whatever, then actually being in his presence as he creates the next greatest thing; seeing him for the first time covered in grease, and coffee stains, oil smudges on his face and hair every-which-way-from-Sunday, yet, a Beethoven, in a way, with just as talented hands.

You can say that you've heard of such greatness, but you never know whether that level of greatness is rightfully bestowed until you are really in his presence.

_And you wonder where he gets the ego?_

Sitting as still as she could, Pepper took it in.

He was, maybe, mid '40s, with a solid, strong build and graying hair. He looked sophisticated, noble even, yet with a childish glee as he watched the crowd around him, like a boy wholly pleased with what he got for Christmas. He was handsome, looked quite charming, and if she was willing to guess, Tony had probably gotten much of his charisma from him as well.

He was clean shaven, so much unlike his son, yet had the same jaw, same intense dark eyes, and same little smirk. She was even pretty sure that like his son, women adored him, even if, _unlike Tony_, he only had eyes for one.

As the camera moved to show another exhibit, Pepper gapped for words to say. Opening her mouth to say something, she closed it again. _Really, what do you say?_

"It's alright, Pep. I've heard enough times that a lot of women were speechless around him. I'm not surprised you are too."

Looking at Tony, she squinted as maybe the smallest trace of annoyance briefly flickered across his amused features.

She shook her head, "I was going to say that you look a great deal like him." Yes, she was completely aware that she admitted to some sort of attraction towards him.

This seemed to please Tony.

"He looked like a great man," Pepper added.

Nodding, Tony continued to watch the footage, "He was. We had our disagreements, but in the end, he was always my dad."

As the footage rolled, Tony continued to make comments about people, the technology of the time, and the 70s hairstyles that had Pepper's head itch, as if it was loaded down with a whole can of hairspray, itself. Though enjoying his own wit, he got momentarily subdued whenever his father, gesticulating wildly over whatever tech he was discussing with well dressed businessmen and geeky looking scientists, came into view.

Sparing glances at him, Pepper watched as emotions flickered across Tony's face. Some times he looked sad, other times angry, and others, maybe even proud. For the most part, however, he simply looked lost. And then the footage would roll by and moments later, it was as if the past had never existed.

For half an hour they watched the tape roll back in time. For such a simple act, it was honestly the most awe-inspiring occurrence Pepper had ever experienced in the recent months. Blood didn't pour out her ears, her heart didn't pump from adrenaline and her palms didn't sweat with anxiety, but there was just something breathtaking about the journey through the past.

It was like doing that one big thing, that for the life of you, you would never forget, no matter how long you lived, or what else you'd accomplished. Nothing could top it; nothing would ever come close.

"And that's my mom."

And just like that, if seeing Tony's dad wasn't monumental enough, seeing his mother as she was then couldn't be topped.

Pepper had heard rumors of Maria Stark's simple though magnificent beauty, and seeing pictures had proven it, but nothing could have hammered it home more than the smiling woman waving politely at the camera, and having it feel like she was smiling at you.

Her dark hair was up in a neat chiffon, and even with the grainy footage, it was clear to see her dark eyes glowing merrily at the events around her. Many people would step into the scene, shake her hand, hug her, or kiss her on the cheek, and she simply beamed, like every person she crossed was some significant old friend she hadn't seen in years.

She was more personably than Pepper could even imagine herself being, and some traitorous corner of her mind wondered, _'if Maria had been alive today, would Tony have been more his mother?'_

The answer itself was unimportant, as Tony was making strides to improve his rapport with employees, associates and strangers alike, but it was just one of many numerous questions Pepper would forever wonder. _What would have been different if Howard and Maria Stark had died of natural causes at ripe, old ages, rather than midlife; robbing an adolescent son of their guidance and love?_

It wasn't something she often thought of (what good would it do, now?), but every-so-often, Pepper would find herself indulging in the 'what ifs?' It was both pleasant, and an unfriendly place to be.

Again, Pepper had no idea what to say.

"She's… beautiful."

Tony cocked his head this-way-and-that, before nodding, "Yeah, I guess she is."

Unsure as to what his answer meant, Pepper turned to look at him. He elaborated.

"She wasn't Mrs. Howard Stark, or Tony Stark's mom. She was just… mom. I never saw her as attractive, or unattractive for that matter, just… perfect, in the way a mom always is."

While the admission made sense, the vulnerability in the words he spoke had her floored. Even though Tony made it a habit of surrounding himself with flawless, perhaps scientifically aided woman, there was just something about the way Tony referred to his mother's simple beauty as being _perfect_ that had Pepper's inside squeeze together and a not entirely distasteful ache develop near her chest.

Pepper was about to reply when the movement on the camera caught her attention.

Maria, still beaming, turned to the side as the camera panned down her frame showing off a round belly, her small hands lovingly caressing the swell of the 7 or 8 month fetus growing within her.

Pepper couldn't help it. She brought her hands up to cover her mouth as she gasped, "Oh my God…"

Beside her, Tony's shoulders shook with silent laughter. Once the scene passed, Pepper playfully glared him.

"When you said you were in these, I didn't think you meant in utero!"

Tony flippantly waved a hand, pleased with himself, "Mere technicality."

Pepper shook her head disbelievingly, "I was looking for a little boy, not a fetus!"

"How old do you think I am, Miss Potts?" Tony said, continuing to chuckle.

Pepper blithely huffed. "I _know_ how old you are. I just…never thought about when you were born, before."

Tony took a drink from his glass, "Yes, well, there I am, sorta. There are quite a lot of news clippings, and pictures of mom pregnant. Apparently even back then, the papps loved me. I think I read an old article titling me as 'The Pitter-Patter of a Future Weapons Manufacturer."

Pepper cocked a sardonic eyebrow at him, "And boom, Ego was born."

"Hey," Tony retorted, holding his hands up in defense, "It's hard to be humble when magazines hypothesize the day you were conceived."

Pepper wrinkled her nose, looking between him and the footage of some hydraulic something-or-other, "I don't need to know…"

"It either happened on a trip to New York or in India-"

Pepper quickly held up a hand, "I said, I don't want to know."

Tony looked affronted, "It's not _your_ parents' sex lives people are talking about, you know."

"All the same," she said taking a sip of the wine she had completely forgotten about, "I'd rather not hear. And I thought we were watching this for the Expo?"

Pepper rolled her eyes when Tony tapped his forehead, "All up here."

The footage continued to roll by, until he went silent again as both his parents came into the frame.

Maria had one hand on her hip, while the other hand pointed an accusing finger at an amused looking Howard. They appeared to be bickering, but the smiles on each others' faces told it wasn't serious. _Probably the same bantering Tony and herself used_, Pepper offhandedly thought.

"Mom would always chastise him for being late to a meeting, or being too hard on the engineers." Tony softly said, watching the footage. "Once, he got a little too snarky with R&D. I guess I was like 7 or something; I was sitting in his office while he was at the meeting, and then they came in and she chewed him out, saying stuff about respect and that these people work for him, and if it weren't for the people willing to develop his systems, he wouldn't really have a company."

Pepper smiled. Tony never talked about his childhood much, and it was nice to get a rare glimpse of what was hidden in that mind of his.

Nudging her shoulder with his, he commented, "Remind you of anyone?"

Pepper shrugged knowingly, "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

Tony chuckled gently, before the laughter died down at his parents' onscreen interaction.

Sporting Tony's smirk, Howard's eyes shone with mischief before he encased Maria's hand in his, pulled her to him as best her belly would allow, and gently kissed the upturned lips of his wife. Maria blushed prettily as they quickly parted, and smacked him teasingly on the chest. They were in front of cameras after all.

Pepper smiled and glanced at Tony. The smile quickly disappeared.

In her many years in Tony's company, she had never seen him cry. Not even close. But she figured if he ever were to, this would be what he would look like.

His eyebrows were furrowed together in an unpleasant crease, while his mouth was turned down in one of the most mournful expressions she had ever seen him wear. Glazed eyes stared at the moving pictures and his Adam's apple bobbed when he heavily swallowed, like holding back some emotion.

More to herself than anything, Pepper nodded, understandingly. He could handle reading articles, or seeing pictures, or even hear stories from old associates, but watching his parents as he remembered them, happy, affectionate, loving, was something that he couldn't shake.

Reaching for him, Pepper entwined her hand with his that rested on his knee. If he was surprised by her touch, he didn't show it, simply squeezed her hand in a _'thank you'_ and continued to stare at the film. And although she couldn't explain it, it felt like the thing to do, so she leaned her head in to rest it against his shoulder.

Her presence seemed to comfort him, and after a couple of minutes, watching the unveiling of the undeveloped arc reactor static display, she felt him run his thumb against the back of her hand.

Softly, she spoke, "You miss them, don't you?"

It was rhetorical, but he answered anyway, "Yeah." She felt his shoulder rise in a deep breath. "When I was younger, I want to go with them."

Pepper tilted her chin up to look at him. _Go with them? _

"For a long time I wondered why I was spared. A lot of people said I was lucky, given the circumstances, but it didn't feel like that. I just wanted to be with them."

For the not the first time that night, Pepper was floored. She'd assumed that Tony probably felt guilty of surviving, when his parents didn't, but to actually hear him say –albeit in a round about way- that he hadn't wanted to escape the crash was… horrendous. She understood why Tony didn't talk much about it, but to hear it from him that he could have cared less if he had died, maybe even been happier with it, made her heart break.

She wanted to cry; as it was, she felt the first sting of tears well in her eyes.

Tony chuckled without humour, "My Shrink said it was normal."

Pepper nodded against his shoulder. She knew that Shrink; a Dr. Michaels Tony made certain to invite to every function he held, or personally send a Christmas gift too; the only person he ever did. He was also the same person that called every year around the anniversary of their deaths to make small talk.

To her surprise, again, Tony continued, "I thought about them a lot in Afghanistan."

Pepper nearly sat ramrod straight. Talking about his parents' death _and_ Afghanistan in one night? She wasn't sure if she felt privileged, or unfortunate. _Poor Tony…_

"I mean, I had time to process that fact that I was gonna die…"

Pepper was pretty sure she squeaked.

"I wondered what their last thoughts were." She looked up again to see Tony smile a bit, "Probably about me."

Tonight was full of surprises, Pepper mused, as she shocked herself by nuzzling his shoulder with her forehead. She sat quietly, not wanting to interrupt him, or perhaps scare him if he forgot she was there.

Apparently he didn't.

"They would have loved you; mom especially."

Pepper was touched, and looked up to see a soft smile on his face. "They would never have met me."

Tony turned his head to look down at her. "How do you figure?"

"If they hadn't of passed, you wouldn't have taken over." Pepper stated. "You wouldn't have needed an assistant. And even if you did, hypothetically, take over, you'd have to of waited till your dad retired, at which time I'd have been long employed at whatever it was I would have done."

She watched Tony's eyebrows rise, as if realizing the logic of her statement before a small smirk developed. "I didn't mean as an assistant."

Pepper blushed. To cover it, she buried her face in his shoulder and laughed lightly.

Well, if he was being honest, it was only fair that she be, too.

"I would have loved to of met them, too," not bothering to distinguish as an assistant or something more.

Tony seemed pleased as he squeezed her hand in his.

In front of them, the aged footage continued to roll.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_Just got this idea when the spoilers came out that Tony looks through Stark Expo footage. I can turn almost any situation into something shippy ;) There was so much I wanted to put into this, that it might almost seem a tad choppy. So sorry; it just wasn't writing itself all that easily :(

Tony's age: I couldn't find anything official that said when Tony was born, but the newspaper clip at the beginning of IM said that Tony had already graduated at 17 in 1991, when they died. I went with that being his year, therefore, going back 17 years, would make Tony's birth year 1074. Tho that would mean Tony is, as of IM1, 34…yeah...uh huh…riiiiight…

Also, no idea if Tony was with them when they died. Just added it to bring in the angst.


End file.
